This book came to my hands through Bookcrossing, an online reading community that tracks and shares books.
I can't say I learned a lot from it, but I enjoyed reading it immensely. In our family we already try to be very conscious about what we buy, what we waste, what we eat, etc. Although we could do a lot more... But reminding me about this was not the reason I enjoyed this book either.
What I really liked were all the parallel thoughts about the real meaning that consuming has in our lives. How does it contribute - in case it does - to improve them? What drives us to work more and more time, to be able to buy more things, most of which we'll sonner than later throw away? And what if, by giving up some of these comodities and becoming in charge of new tasks we find a new kind of fulfillement that comes with a change of lifestyle?
Although at first sight this may look like another flashy book of some obscure American writer looking to be advertised, in fact it is a very honest and inspiring account of someone who drastically changes his (and his family's) lifestyle so that it made less impact on the environment. Because the question is not whether one person, as an isolated individual, can make a difference. The real question is: are we willing to try and live according to our conscience? Or do we prefer to take the easy road and abstain from thinking about the consequences of our actions?
As for myself, I've just went to the bottom of my drawer and dug out the old cotton handkerchiefs I used when I was about my kid's age. I hardly remembered how much softer and confortable they are than the pieces of paper we've got so used to. And I'll certainly refine some habits, especially regarding reducing the amount of plastic garbage we produce whenever we go out shopping. Here are some of my new year green resolutions:* I will buy even more fresh produce and less packaged / preserved food, from local origin as much as possible* I'll start buying flour in our local small milling plant instead of the supermarket. Its made out of local cereal (less energy and fuel spent in transportation), freshly grinded (more rich in nutrients), comes in large 5 or 10 kg pacages (less packaging). Plus, each time I go there, I'll know I am helping local workers and farmers to keep their jobs (while maintaining some of the northeastern landscapes I love so much)* I will buy less envelopes and reuse more. I've made some really nice ones using old supermarket leaflets and empty cereal boxes turned inside out (they are great for books because they are sturdy and they turn out really neat!)* I will look for my fountain pens and start using them again - I have several which I really like and I used them a lot many years ago but somewhere along the way, they've gradually been replaced by ugly plastic ballpoints, I really don't know why, but I guess because it was easier...* I will drink less coffee - it travels a long way and the instant one... well, to tell the truth, I've never quite trusted it (what is it that they do, to transform plain simple coffee powder into those puffed grains that are so soluble?). I will replace it with tea - from the Azores, of course, as well as some infusions from my home-grown herbs - to tell the truth, I prefer tea rather than coffee, but I end up drinking more coffee because... you guessed - its easier...

I still find it hard to believe that Vítor Matias is no longer among us. I was lucky enough to have known him personally, because he was a good friend of my parents. I am lucky enough to own some of his paintings but I am even more privileged to have been given the chance to watch him paint - it all seemed so incredibly easy...
He lived a rich, sometimes hard (he fought the war in Africa), but I dare say an overall good life and he will be missed by many. He died this Saturday, at the age of 73.
He knew our country well, from north to south and that shows in his work. Please visit his website so that you can see more of his great work here.

Last October I was offered an unexpected job that needed me to travel to Cape Verdefor a week by the end of the following month. I pondered a lot because I don't like to be away from my family for so long and also because I had to go within such a short notice. But I finally accepted and although the work was a bit stressful because of tight deadlines and fligh company strike threats, among other things, in the end I managed to enjoy enough to make a few doodles in my sketchbook. Only three, and one was left unfinished, but they made me happy enough!

Cape Verde is a wonderful country, with an immense and valuable natural heritage. Let's hope the tourism development in course does not lead to its loss, as it happened in other places (namely the Mediterranean basin and the south coast of Portugal). Each one of us can help, by carefully selecting sustainable tourism offers instead of the "all-included-style" resort offers - usually belonging to foreign economic groups - that usually keep all the profit inside them instead of sharing it with the local communities.